Surprising mom in Anna Maria Island with Chateau Ste. Michelle

Thursday, August 23, 2018


This post is sponsored by Chateau Ste. Michelle. All opinions are my own.

Earlier this month was my mom’s birthday.  Many times, I’ve shared how proud I am to be able to call her my mom. We have our ups and downs, as any true bffs, but I wouldn’t change her for the world. She had been in Miami for three months helping me with Nico, and before she left, I wanted to thank her with a little surprise -- a trip to Anna Maria Island on the west coast of Florida.

My mom is definitely her happiest by the ocean. We told her to pack for the beach, hopped in a car, and drove for four hours. She really had no idea where we were going. We stayed at this cute apartment just a few steps from the ocean. 

One afternoon, I told her I was going to pamper her, and Gabe was going to take her picture (she loves social media, so a new profile picture was a must). I did her makeup and gifted her the kaftan she is wearing in the photos. When she reached the backyard,  I had a little surprise for her: sweet treats, Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay, and Gabe was ready to take her close-up.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay is one of my favorite white wines; it was perfect for bonding with mom and it also pairs perfectly with seafood - making it the perfect white wine by the ocean!  It is fresh and soft, with bright apple and sweet citrus fruit character with subtle spice and oak nuances.


I’m so happy we were able to enjoy this little trip with the family before my mom left. Cheers to more moments like this!












How to bathe your newborn? …with Baby Dove

Monday, August 20, 2018

This post is sponsored by Baby Dove. All opinions are my own.




When I announced I was pregnant, I was SO excited to be invited to my first “baby” event with Baby Dove.  We were given the best tips by a pediatric dermatologist: Dr. Gonzalez. At the time, I did not know what to ask- I was just absorbing all the knowledge so I could use it when baby Nico was here. I was SO ecstatic to learn that Baby Dove products were specifically designed for a baby’s delicate skin and we couldn’t wait to try them.

But I’m not going to lie; as a first-time mom, I was terrified of bath time. That’s the reason why this post took me a little longer to write, but now that I feel like a pro and it’s my favorite time of the day to bond with Nico. Keep reading for some tips on how to bathe your little one that have been working for us; and what Baby Dove products I’ve been using and loving. 






DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP
We both took baby classes before birth. However, knowing the theory part of anything is a completely different story than reality. I found myself with a 6-pound tiny human and I was afraid of hurting him.

During Nico’s first few baths, we had our mothers with us- especially because I still wasn’t feeling well.  It can be your mom, an aunt, a cousin, a friend with kids…it will give you more confidence and you’ll be an expert in no time.



A SPONGE BATH FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS 

Until the umbilical stump falls off, which can take up to 3 weeks to fall, a sponge bath is all your baby needs. Also, the nurses at the hospital shared that at this time, it’s not necessary to wash him every day.
For the sponge bath, we used the bath cushion, but you can also use a golden towel or blanket to lay the baby. We would wet and wring a small towel with a bit of the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Tip to Toe Wash and carefully rub it all over his body- and then rinse it with another small towel with just water.  Pay special attention to the diaper area and under the chin (because of spit ups).

When the umbilical stump falls off, the bathroom or kitchen sink are the best options. For us, the guest bathroom sink with the bath cushion ended up being the most comfortable option. 







TAKE YOUR TIME TO PREPARE
Before heading to the bathroom, take everything you need and have it ready to go: the bath cushion, towels (I use three: a big one to wrap him and two little ones: one for his face and another one to dry his hair), the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Tip to Toe Wash. the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Baby Lotion, a clean diaper, diaper rash cream, what he is wearing next (for us, it’s always comfortable PJs since we bathe him at night), a hair brush, etc. That way, everything will be in reach and the process will be smoother.

Let’s talk temperature. A baby’s skin is more sensitive than yours; reason why, what might feel perfectly warm for you is too hot for the little one. Instead of testing the water with your hand, do it with your elbow or the inside of your wrist.
Also, we like turning off the A/C as soon as we put him in the sink to make sure that when we take him out, it’s not too cold for him.





 USE GENTLE PRODUCTS
I love knowing that the Baby Dove products I’m using are dermatologist and pediatrician tested and recommended, hypoallergenic, and created with no dyes, parabens, or phthalates. Also, they are ultra-gentle for newborn skin and made with 100% skin-natural nutrients formulated to minimize damage and replenish a baby’s delicate skin.

We have been using the Rich Moisture line but if your little one has sensitive skin, the Sensitive Moisture collection is probably the right fit for your family.

I really like the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Tip-To-Wash, it produces a rich and creamy lather that helps retain the natural skin moisture. Plus, the fragrance is not overwhelmingly strong, but it has that sweet new baby smell!





MAKE IT A ROUTINE
We have incorporated bath time into our own little night routine and since then, he is sleeping better and for a longer period of time.

Around 30 minutes before his last night feeding, usually around 9-10pm, we start prepping the sink.  It takes us around 10-15 minutes to bathe him because he really enjoys it. He could be super fussy, but his face instantly lights up when he feels the water. 

Since he was born with a full head of hair, we wash his hair daily, but he would get too cold when taking him out of the sink because of the wet hair. So, I start washing his hair and then I dry it with a little towel- and then I moved to wash his body. That way, his hair is dry, and he is happy the whole time. After wrapping him in the towel, I head to the bedroom where I quickly put his diaper to avoid any messes.


Then it’s LOTION + MASAGGE TIME!

Did you know your baby’s skin is 30% thinner than yours? This means that they lose moisture quicker than us; so it’s important to not only keep it clean but also moisturized. I’m absolutely loving the Baby Dove Rich Moisture Baby Lotion for many reasons. It leaves his skin SO soft and delicately scented. Plus, I give him a little massage. Following Dr. Gonzalez’s tips, I warm the gentle lotion by rubbing it between my hands and using gentle pressure I start with his feet and move my way up.

 After the massage, Nico is so relaxed, and he falls as sleep as soon as he is finished eating.






ENJOY IT
My last tip is just to enjoy it! Bath Time quickly became my favorite time to bond with Nico- especially because I trust my way!!.  He is now 3 months and he laughs the whole time- my heart just melts!



What did I miss? Share yours tips on bathing a newborn with a fellow mommy below!  XOXO






Summer Dresses with Tassels under $100

Saturday, August 11, 2018


If there is a summer trend I love is flowy dresses with tassels.  These are great for summer getaways or if you live in a hot+humid city like Miami.

 I ordered this dress when I was still pregnant, I knew that i would be a great transitional piece (baby bump to "that awkward bump" after baby haha). I wore this a few days after giving birth to our first pediatrician visit- we stopped at the Chinese village in Miami for some shots. I wore these cute flats since I was still in so much pain. But it felt great to get out of the house...plus red lipstick is always a mood booster!!

Here are some fun summer dresses with tassels! Which is your fave?




How to Host a Girls’ Night In... With Chateau Ste. Michelle

Thursday, August 9, 2018

This post is sponsored by Chateau Ste. Michelle


If there is something I LOVE, it is having friends over. I always have. Since I was a little girl and a teenager, my house was always the meeting point. And that never changed. Now that I am a wife and a new-mom, I like to make sure that I’m still making time for my friends (while Nico
is with dad or his grandparents).


Today, I’m super excited to partner with Chateau Ste. Michelle to share some fun tips on how to host a girly night in. Over the years, I’ve tried to improve as a hostess; so let’s talk WINE (of course!), cute PJs, food, games, etc... because staying in with your best friends can be even more fun than going out. The overall thought at the end of this get-together was: why don’t we do this more often!!?



DRINKS




My friends and I absolutely love Rosé. And we just found a new favorite - Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Rosé; it’s soft and fresh with aromas of watermelon, raspberry, and flavors of wild strawberry, citrus zest, and hits of lemon.

I knew the Rosé was going to be a hit, but just in case anyone preferred white wine, I had a Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay ready to go!



FOOD



For food, let’s just say this was a mix of things we would have loved as little girls (HELLO DONUTS- make sure to get them in fun colors and different flavors ; and that grown-ups would approve. Say Cheese, little cheese plate with at least two types of cheese and prosciutto! Also a few movie/game essentials: chips + different dips and popcorn! I mean...in my book, ANYTHING goes with ROSÉ!


CUTE PJS



I have a thing for theme parties or parties with dress codes. So if I’m hosting something, my friends know and always ask: what do we wear? This time I thought it would be fun to just chill in cute pajamas like we were at a slumber party.
Confession? I don’t own a lot of cute PJs. I headed out to get a cute pajama set as soon as I sent the invite to my friends. I found this two-piece floral set that was SO comfortable and perfect for the occasion- and now I haven’t stopped wearing it. I definitely have to invest in more cute PJs.



GAMES/MOVIES

I love card games and board games. Slowly, I have collected some of the classics and I still have many on my list to eventually purchase. But you don’t need lots of board games- with ONE deck of cards you can play so many games!
Also, the day before I started browsing on the web and adding several chick-flicks to my list. That way we wouldn’t spend too much time searching and they were ready to go.

Here are some of the ones I added: Bring It On, 13 Going on 30, Princess Diaries, and P.S I Love You.

BEAUTY TIME/ DIY MASKS



It wouldn’t be a girls’ night in without some beauty pampering. My friend Pao wanted to do her nails, and I wanted to do a face mask!
You don’t need to purchase an expensive face mask. There are many easy-to-make face masks with ingredients found in your kitchen. 


These 3 are my faves:

For deep clean pores: 1 teaspoon of oatmeal + 2 teaspoons of yogurt

For dry skin: 1/2 of very ripe avocado + 2 tablespoons of honey + 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil.

To hydrate: 1/2 smashed ripe banana + 3 tablespoons of honey +3 tsp of yogurt.
Just mix the ingredients and apply for 15 minutes.


Are you ready for a girl's night in? CHEERS!

Affordable & Fashionable Eyewear...with Zenni Optical

Monday, August 6, 2018




I remember the day I realized I needed prescription glasses. I was a senior in high school and for fun I borrowed my friend's eyeglasses to see how they looked on me. Little did I know that I would SEE WAY BETTER. At that time, I only needed them to go the movies or drive.  Fast forward 12 years and I can't live (or see) without my eyeglasses- and I'm not the biggest fan of contacts.

As a fashion blogger, I used to get the most versatile pair of eyeglasses- so they would go with basically any outfit. Also, prescription eyewear can get very expensive; and if I'm totally honest, I'm always misplacing and losing my glasses. But this is all about to change. I just purchased 2 pairs of glasses from Zenni Optical and I can't wait to get many colorful and chic styles to match my outfits.

FIRST FAMILY OUTING

Saturday, August 4, 2018


OUR FIRST FAMILY PHOTO

I feel like nobody talks about the postpartum; everything hurts the first few weeks (I finally felt like myself after 6 weeks). It would hurt when getting up, sitting down, walking- which is specially frustrating when you want to be there for your baby!  This was the first day that I finally felt like myself and I wanted to get out of the house, even if it was for a bit! We both needed a little breath of fresh air .


______________________________________________


Las mujeres pasamos 9 meses preparándonos para el gran momento, pero muy poco dice de la parte postparto Yo personalmente estuve muy adolorida las primeras semanas; me costaba pararme, sentarme, caminar...todo! (Y me frustraba mucho porque sentía que no podía estar ahí 100% para Nico). Aunque me tomó 6 semanas sentirme perfectamente bien, este día fue el primero que quise salir así fuese un ratito al parque con Nico (chiki, Gabe y mi mamá también)...el aire fresco definitivamente nos hizo bien a todos.


FUZZY LIKE DADDY




BABY SHOWER #2- Hosted by fabulous bloggers

Thursday, August 2, 2018



OMG! I should have shared this post ages ago.  But let me tell you a funny story, my dear friends (and bloggers) Kelly Saks and Erika Thomas planned this baby shower with some amazing blogger friends. 

At the time, I wasn't 100% sure of the name "NICO". I mean, it was our first and favorite option but we were still thinking of other names, just in case.  But when friends asked me, I would tell them we love Nico. Something happened along the way that Kelly thought that was the official name and it was so cute, she put his name all over the decor. However, since I had not shared the name publicly, I kept these images to myself...but hey, the shower was too cute not to share with you.

This was my second shower. I had one with family where I planned it all (you can see EVERYTHING about it here). Kelly also texted my husband asking him about the theme of our nursery (you can also see the nursery HERE); since it was all about animals, they went with that theme. It was all a surprise and I absolutely love how different my showers were.

The shower was at the EAST Hotel at Quinto la Huella. We had such a delicious lunch, played games, and I felt extremely blessed because Nico has the most fashionable aunts ever.



FUN THINGS I ABSOLUTELY LOVED:
- The Diaper Cake: so cute and so useful! I took them home and we are still using them. 

- "It's a BOY" gold balloons that made the perfect backdrop for pictures.

- Animal Crackers were perfectly on theme!

- Newborn clothes hanging over the diaper cake. This was also a cute detail that I got to take home, Nico is still wearing these cute outfits.

- Baby's First Library: Kelly and Erika asked the guest to bring a book so Nico could start his own little library. I've started reading to him as part of the night-time routine so these came so handy.

- The Sign book: all the guest got to write the sweetest messages for Nico. I can't wait to show him all of this when he is older.

- Charm "labor" bracelet: each guest picked a charm for a bracelet and they gave it the best energy. I took this bracelet with me in my hospital bag and I know it came with the most amazing wishes from the sweetest girls ever.


Check out all the pictures. Wasn't it BEAUTIFUL?